


Down For the Count

by WriteLikeTheWind



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: And I just wanted to fix something at the end of Thor, And now I want to fix ALL the things, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Brothers, Countdown, Darcy deserves more screen time, Fix-It of Sorts, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, I just rewatched Thor 1, Jane deserves more screen time, Loki (Marvel) Feels, Loki (Marvel) Needs a Hug, Minor Violence, Minor whump, Talking, The Destroyer is in this fic, marvel AU, not thor 1 compliant, talking instead of jumping to conclusions, what a concept
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-27
Updated: 2020-09-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:41:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24938479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WriteLikeTheWind/pseuds/WriteLikeTheWind
Summary: The connection to the Destroyer tugged at Loki's mind, catching his attention. A wave of unease came from Loki's stomach before he identified the reason for it.The Destroyer was moving.The Destroyer was moving towards Thor.Loki sent out his magic to assess the situation on Midgard. The Destroyer was now only ten steps away from Thor.Loki only had a minute. Maybe less.WARNING! Minor depiction of violence in Chapter 1
Relationships: Jane Foster/Thor, Loki & Thor (Marvel)
Comments: 19
Kudos: 119





	1. Countdown

_"Brother, however I have wronged you, whatever I have done that has led you to do this, I am truly sorry."_

Thor's words hit Loki with the force of crashing cymbals, forcing all of his thoughts to come screeching to a halt. Then, the words swarmed around Loki's head, each syllable producing an echo until they lost all meaning. His hands instinctively gripped the arms of the throne, the tips of his fingers growing pale in effort. Tension bled into his shoulders and chest, as his breathing became shallow and strained. Loki didn't even take note of the pain. After all, how could he possibly feel any physical pain over the deafening howling from within him.

Loki deliberately took a deep, sharp breath, trying to force his thoughts to settle down again. To regain focus. He narrowed his eyes in concentration, allowing himself to see Thor through his connection to the Destroyer again. Piece by piece, he mentally replayed the spoken sentiments to make _sense_ of them.

_Brother, however I have wronged you—_

Loki grit his teeth, his face twisting as if he had sampled something very sour.

_Whatever I have done that has led you to do this—_

His breath caught in his throat. Loki had to actually work to keep taking breaths, shortened by the twisted tension in his chest.

_I am truly sorry._

Loki held his breath for a moment, before releasing it with a sharp hiss. He forced his hands to let go, and massaged his wrists to regain circulation in his right hand. A huge headache came over Loki, settling at the crown of his head, as he concentrated on releasing his accumulated tension. His jaw tightened at the arrival of another unwanted headache, but did not lock up. His shoulders involuntarily shuddered, reacting to his habit of swallowing unwanted stress. He would just have to deal with this, like he always did.

_Sorry? How could he be sorry? He doesn't even know the reason why he's apologizing?_

Loki quickly swatted the sharp thoughts down. The Destroyer was taking up most of his concentration. He couldn't afford to be distracted by useless emotions.

Like a racecar driver handling a difficult sharp turn, Loki turned his mind back to the situation in front of him. He figured that Thor just said something along the lines of "These people were nice to me so you shouldn't kill them." Typical. Thor, in his three days of exile, was shown kindness and now had an attachment to some mortal strangers.

_"So take mine, and end this."_

To say that _that sentence_ caught Loki's attention would be an understatement. In an instant, Loki's thoughts froze solid and his limbs felt like they had turned to lead. For once, Loki was struck speechless. His current train of thought crashed and then disappeared entirely. Loki's jaw dropped and hung loosely for a few seconds.

His mind finished processing the last thing Thor said.

And then he felt like he was on FIRE.

A surge of repressed emotions burst out of Loki's chest, like water released from a floodgate. Too powerful to stop. He felt something crack deep within him, and almost melted from the overwhelming burning sensation inside. The room felt _wrong_. The lights were too bright. There was a huge pressure leaning on his chest. And his mind and his body was ON FIRE and no one else could SEE it.

His mind raced ahead before he could stop it, out of his control. Not for the first time, he pictured slapping his brother. A moment later, he forcefully pushed the vision aside. Loki willed himself return to the present moment _. Focus. I cannot act on this outburst. This changes nothing. I already know what I need to do._

The connection to the Destroyer tugged at Loki's mind, catching his attention. His outburst of emotions hadn't jarred Loki's connection to the Destroyer. He was very apt at maintaining focus with his magic, even when his mind was occupied elsewhere. A wave of unease came from Loki's stomach before he identified the reason for this reflex.

The Destroyer was moving.

The Destroyer was moving _towards_ Thor.

Loki's breathing hitched again, as he quickly reached with his magic to confirm the Destroyer's intentions. It was worse than he feared. The Destroyer, built with a single-minded purpose, was intent on reaching its target and destroying it. The Destroyer was not built to distinguish between emotions and orders.

Loki yanked his magic, desperately sending the order for the Destroyer to stop walking towards its current target. He furiously sent more orders, one after another, trying to steer the Destroyer from it's goal. It didn't work.

It did _not_ work.

Dread tightened Loki's throat, and worked its way down to the bottom of his feet. Total, utter dread chilled Loki's spine as he realized that he still felt angry. He was still angry. He never stopped feeling in the first place. And the Destroyer would not stop until Loki's emotions stopped feeding it.

The fleeting thought of — _Thor will be alright, he's walked away from worse blows than this_ — flashed through Loki's mind. Then, the chill snaked through Loki's gut, causing him to shiver with a realization. Thor would not be alright. Unlike before, Thor was _mortal._

Loki's eyes blinked rapidly, reacting to the spike in stress. The fire burning along his body had changed into a simmering flame, but still remained. Hundreds of scenarios flashed across his eyes; calculating, estimating, _searching_. At the first possible, but difficult, plan, Loki jumped into action.

The Destroyer, Loki estimated, is twelve steps away from Thor. Loki pulled at his magic, commanding the Destroyer to shut down. Through his magic, he practically shouted at the Destroyer to return to its dormant state. When he received notice that his orders had been received, he felt his heart squeeze with the forgotten feeling of hope.

The Destroyer was still moving.

The next step of the Destroyer was slightly slower than before, but not slow enough. Loki let out a curse at this, his fury redirected at the Destroyer's design. The weapon wasn't designed to be subtle or fast. It was only designed to be powerful. To be unstoppable. To destroy.

Another yank at his magic disconnected Loki from controlling the Destroyer. In theory, he knew removing the outside energy source will further slow it down. His last command would still be fulfilled. But it was not fast enough.

_Thor._

Loki sent out his magic to assess the situation on Midgard. The Destroyer was now only ten steps away from Thor.

Loki only had a minute. Maybe less.

**_60_ **

Loki strode across the throne room, pushing open the grand doors as soon as he reached them. The right door hit the wall with a loud bang. The sound barely percolated in Loki's mind, and didn't break his focus. Nothing could sway his laser-focused mind from the task at hand. Loki rushed down the hallway, paying no mind to anyone he passed. Nothing was more important than his current goal.

**_53_ **

_How could I be so stupid! Just one slip, and it could RUIN everything!_

**_51_ **

The door to Loki's room slammed against the wall, but Loki paid it no mind. He pulled an elegant rug off of the floor, revealing patterns of intricate runes. He stepped into a painted white circle, surrounded by runes, and called his magic to him. The words to the spell tripped effortlessly off his tongue. He already knew the words. He _needed_ to know the words.

**_38_ **

_I should have NEVER let my guard down. Never allowed those emotions to overtake me. It doesn't matter how thick-headed Thor was. I should know better by now. I should be better by now._

**_32_ **

Loki's magic came to him, swirling around his fingers with crackling energy. He breathed it in, and willed a blanket of calm to cover his mind. Finally, it was quiet enough for him to focus. Loki concentrated, and honed in on Thor's unique energy. His magic swelled, then latched onto the familiar energy. Loki spoke the final words of the incantation, preparing himself for the next part.

**_19_ **

_....what if I'm too late._

**_13_ **

The sensation of being stretched simultaneously up and down abruptly stopped. Loki took in the scene, realizing that the Destroyer was only two steps from Thor. Loki was eight steps away.

**_10_ **

Loki ran at Thor, picking up speed with every step. His vision blocked out everything else around him.

**_9_ **

Loki barely noticed Thor starting to look in his direction. He couldn't process anything, couldn't muster any reactions or thoughts. He could only run.

**_8_ **

He was so close. Only a couple steps away.

**_7_ **

Loki slammed into Thor with his full weight, pushing him to the side of the Destroyer's path.

**_6_ **

Thor hit the ground with a muffled groan. The Destroyer had stopped walking.

**_5_ **

Loki struggled to regain his balance. He barely managed to stay standing.

**_4_ **

The Destroyer slowly raised its hand.

**_3_ **

Loki pulse rushed through his ears. His legs felt numb, the adrenaline slipping away from him. He thought he could hear a faraway, higher-pitched voice shouting. He couldn't make out what they were saying.

**_2_ **

Thor managed to sit halfway up, and turned his head to peer at Loki. The corners of Loki's mouth instinctually tugged upwards into a smile, though he couldn't currently remember the reason why. 

**_1_ **

The Destroyer was moving.

**0**

Pain exploded from the right side of Loki's face. He gasped, but had no time to think as he was flung to the side. His cheek stung from the sharp metal edges that scraped across it. He hit the ground hard, falling onto his chest. Loki's mind screamed, then slipped into a numb silence.

Everything faded to black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I wrote this because I wanted to delve deeper into how the Destroyer actually works in this fic. And, you know, have characters actually communicate with each other. Poor Loki. I can't wait to write the aftermath of this chapter!
> 
> Thank you [NPennyworth](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NPennyworth) for beta-reading this for me! And for spotting when I drifted into present tense instead of past tense.


	2. Fallout

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fallout of Chapter 2
> 
> aka Thor's take on what just happened.

Thor stared blankly ahead of him, unseeing, struggling to piece together the last few seconds. He remembered staring down the Destroyer as it walked toward him in a menacing fashion. A huge weight had unexpectedly hit his left side, and the momentum flung him a few feet away. Thor had looked back just in time to see the Destroyer's hand collide with something. A figure, blurry to his eyes.

Thor's vision started to come back into focus, his eyes locked onto the prone figure. Someone lay unnaturally still, surrounded by a crowd. Thor squinted at the figure, taking in the familiar features. Long dark hair, a black and green coat—

_Loki!_

Thor surged to his feet, and ran over to his brother as fast as his legs would allow. The small crowd parted for him, giving him a space right by his brother's side. He fell to his knees as he reached Loki. His left side greatly protested from his quick movements, but Thor paid it no mind.

His brother was face-down and unconscious. Thor placed his hand on his brother's neck, checking for his pulse. Thor was relieved to discover that his pulse was steady. Then, Thor attempted to turn his brother over, and felt rising panic because he didn't have the strength to move him independently. One of his friends, possibly Hogun, assisted Thor with the task.

Thor's eyes carefully scanned his brother's form. Loki's right cheek sported several bleeding gashes, which Thor attributed to the Destroyer. One of the gashes was quite deep, but the others were fortunately more shallow. Quicker to scar and heal. Bruises were also starting to form on Loki's face. Loki's breathing was steady and even, the pattern indicating that he was fully unconscious.

Thor did a full body check of Loki, but didn't discover any alarming injuries. Thor was certain that Loki would incur bruises from his fall, but nothing more than that. He put the back of hand on Loki's forehead, noting that it felt cool as usual. Finally, Thor checked the back of Loki's head, and found no dampness or bleeding there.

His brother would live.

Thor was too focused on his brother's state to notice that he'd uttered that aloud. His shoulders instinctively twitched when someone put a comforting hand on his shoulder. Thor couldn't tear his eyes away from his brother. Loki's skin was pale, with dark shadows under his eyes betraying his lack of sleep. He looked uncharacteristically peaceful while asleep. When was the last time he'd seen his brother look so relaxed?

Thor gently cradled his brother's head, moving to carefully hold one of Loki's hands in his own. Loki's stillness ignited a relentless feeling of uneasiness in Thor. People were shouting, but he did not notice it. He was too far away, carried away by his thoughts now that his worst fears were dealt with. Thor felt like there should be a heavy downpour of rain right now. Or gusts of wind, twisting and blowing around. It felt like there should be deafening thunder, and an unruly storm to match the one building inside of Thor. But nothing happened.

Because Thor was mortal. And he had failed to protect his brother.

Thor's neck bent as he started to realize the full consequences of his actions.

_This is all my fault._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BTW, I looked up "how to check an unconscious person for injuries". Let me know if anything is blatantly inaccurate (I'm not a medical expert).
> 
> This was a shorter chapter, but I'm planning for Ch.3 and Ch.4 to be longer. More coming soon!


	3. Musings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thoughtful conversations on the current situation
> 
> aka Jane's take on what just happened ft. Darcy

"Hey, how are you holding up?" Jane asked as she carefully pushed open the door to the room. Thor gave no indication that he'd heard her. He was sitting beside his unconscious brother, who they'd transferred to Jane's bed in the RV. Jane moved a couple plates off the countertop, then set down the cups of hot chocolate she'd brought. She took out a chair, unfolded it, and sat down in front of Thor.

_What can I say?_ Jane thought, _He's obviously upset. I've never seen him so still; it's like his feet have grown roots. I should be careful with what I say._

"I brought you hot chocolate," she ventured, trying to break the silence, "It's a sweet drink. Like dessert, but in a beverage. I hoped it might be comforting..."

Thor finally met her eyes, but his expression remained blank. Unreadable. Jane scrambled to find the right words. _Ah. What now? I'm a scientist, not a people-person. I didn't sign up for.... for any of this when I got into Astrophysics._ She focused back on Thor's expression, noting how tired he seemed to be. Withdrawn. _I might not be prepared to handle this... But I have to try. For Thor._

She decided to address the elephant, aka prone Norse god, in the room. Jane asked, "He hasn't showed any signs of waking up?"

"No", Thor answered in a solemn tone. He glanced over at his brother, then brought his gaze back to Jane.

"Have my friends succeeded in contacting Asgard?" Thor asked.

"No," Jane replied, heart sinking when Thor's shoulders slumped dejectedly, "They haven't, but they're still trying."

Thor looked like he was on the brink of speaking up, but stopped himself. Jane inched forward, wanting to comfort him without being too pushy.

Jane gently asked him, "Is there anything bothering you, Thor?" She inwardly cringed at her awkwardness.

Thor's eyes widened a bit, a pained expression starting to break through his stoic surface. He huffed through his nose, then roughly combed his hand through his hair. Jane patiently waited for him to respond.

Thor confessed, his tone becoming heavier with sadness, "This... My actions led to this. My brother is hurt because of me. I failed to protect him. Because of my foolishness and hastiness... This is all my fault."

Jane started to speak, "Thor, you couldn't have—"

"So, is the corpse awake yet?"

Darcy quickly entered the RV, then strode over to lean against the kitchen counter. Thor and Jane simultaneously turned to look at her.

Thor explained in a serious tone, "My brother is still alive. He does not hang between the balance of life or death. However, it is uncertain whether he will regain consciousness."

Darcy replied, "I know he's alive. But you gotta admit that he kinda looks like a corpse."

Jane sent a glare at Darcy, silently telling her to not push Thor. _Now is not the time to joke around, Darcy! He's upset enough already._

Thor glanced at his brother again. Jane was surprised to see his expression shift from blank to thoughtful. He replied to Darcy, "Perhaps. He does look more like a 'corpse', as you put it, than a healthy, robust person. He usually looks like this. That is, he looks exhausted more often than not. However, usually he is not as still as he is now."

_It's good to hear him talk,_ Jane thought with relief, _I can tell that he has more to say. But I can't risk Darcy interrupting him, though she means well. I'll have to try to get through to him after she leaves. But while she's still here..._

Jane changed the subject, "Darcy, any progress with contacting Asgard?"

Darcy replied with a shrug, "Nada. Nope. They haven't made any progress yet. Last I saw, they were still yelling at the sky for this High-Dale guy—"

"Heimdall," Thor quietly corrected her.

"So, they weren't getting anywhere with that. Thor, I hate to break it to you, but your friends seem kinda loopy."

"Darcy!" Jane exclaimed in embarrassment, then turned to Thor, "Sorry."

"I take no offence," Thor stated plainly, "My comrades.... they are very brave, but like me, they act before they think."

"Yeah, I could tell," Jane said, but didn't elaborate. She frowned as she recalled her last interaction with Thor's Asgardian friends. _I can't believe I actually had to convince him to back off. Was it Frederic? Hmm... Maybe Fandral? Whatever. I stopped him after he kicked Thor's brother. He actually had the gall to claim that Loki was pretending to be injured! Thor didn't believe that! From the way Thor reacted, he didn't believe they were injuries that Loki could just walk away from._

Jane struggled to bring her mind back to the present moment. She really hoped her expression didn't betray her impression of Thor's friends.

"Darcy, can you try to track down a doctor?" Jane requested, "The whole town was evacuated, but there has to be someone who can bring medical supplies here." While she talked, she noticed that her intern's eyes strayed to the countertop. Seconds later, she finally remembered the reason for her distracted state.

"Here," Jane reached over and handed Darcy the third cup of hot chocolate, "I got it with whipped cream, the way you like it."

Darcy's face lit up with a bright smile as she took the cup. "Thanks!" she answered. Then, she bounced out of the RV with a quick, "See you later."

Jane let out a sigh. _That was stressful. I know Darcy doesn't mean it, but she can be a bit obtuse. At least Thor didn't take offense. In fact.... Thor is much quieter than I've ever seen him. Closed off and distant. What can I do to help? Think! Think..._

"Hey," Jane started out, adopting a gentle tone, "I'm sure your friends will find a way to get in touch with Asgard. And get the help your brother needs. It's just a matter of time. But if you need to talk, I'm here for you. I can listen."

Thor's expression softened, filling Jane with relief. She could tell that her comforting words were appreciated.

It took a few minutes for Thor to answer. He finally managed to say, "It is... I've never been faced with a problem like this. Every adventure we went on, Asgard was always in reach. We relied on our gatekeeper. And we could always directly return home in order to deal with injuries. That, or Loki would heal our minor injuries. He is very masterful at healing spells."

Jane nodded in encouragement, trying to give Thor enough space to keep talking. Thor's eyes grew sad. He stared into the distance as he continued.

"I was.... I admit that I took our safety for granted. And now my brother is hurt because of me. I couldn't... I didn't think.... I failed..." Thor started to trail off.

Jane spoke up, "Thor, this is not your fault." Thor looked as though he wanted to protest, but she continued, "You couldn't have known that this was going to happen. So, maybe you made some bad decisions. Or mistakes. That doesn't mean that this situation is solely your fault. There were a lot of contributing factors, not just your actions alone."

"I.... Thank you. Even though I couldn't have foreseen it, I still feel like I am partially to blame," Thor admitted. Jane didn't interrupt, as it seemed that he had more to say. Thor's tone changed when he next spoke, "Honestly.... It is not only Loki's health that worries me at the present moment."

"Yes?" Jane gently prompted him.

Thor eyebrows drew together, his expression a mixture of discomfort and worry. Thor slowly explained, "When my friends came here... They told me that my father was still alive. In Odinsleep, but alive. That reveals Loki's previous words to be false. This greatly worries me. It relentlessly gnaws at my mind. What does this mean, if their accusations are true? If my brother lied to me?"

Jane pulled at the ends of her hair, unsure of how to respond. She did her best to give a thoughtful response.

"Thor..." she said cautiously, "I don't know much about your world or your friends. So, I can't make any assumptions. All I know is that your brother just saved your life, and put himself in danger to do so. Loki really cares about you. So, don't make up your mind yet? Just... I think that you should wait to hear Loki's side of the story before assuming the worst."

Thor's expression became thoughtful again, and he nodded in agreement. After a few minutes, Thor replied, "Aye. That sounds like a wise course of action. Thank you for your council, Jane. I think that I will—"

A thin, shaky voice interrupted him from the direction of the bed.

"Am I dead?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally! Some dialogue. This was actually the hardest chapter to write so far, but I enjoyed finding the rhythm of it. One more to go!
> 
> I'm planning on the next chapter to be pretty long. So, I'm going to chip away at it, but I don't know exactly when I'll be done. I'm looking forward to finishing this. Hang in there!


	4. Mending

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is it
> 
> aka what if everyone sat down and had a reasonable and honest conversation

Loki was in pain.

His right cheek stung, and was throbbing with pain. A cold sensation also stemmed from his right cheek, but Loki couldn't discern the reason for the chill. He couldn't gather his thoughts at all. They swarmed around his head like crows, cacophonic and chaotic. In fact, his entire body was sore and exhausted.

"Am I dead?"

The question rolled off Loki's tongue, sandpaper dry and shaky. His vision started to come into focus. He perceived a plain, grey ceiling above him. _It does not look like the halls of Valhalla. And I am in far too much pain to be dead_ , Loki concluded.

As he gained consciousness, he realized that he was lying down. Confused. Injured. Prone.

Somehow, Loki felt with strong certainty that Heimdall was laughing at him.

"Loki? Are you awake?"

**_Thor._ **

Memories flooded back to Loki, and with them the feeling of desperation. Urgency gripped his heart as he struggled to sit up. He needed to look at Thor immediately: to see for himself that Thor was in fact alive and uninjured. Strong hands hastened to grip Loki's shoulders and force him to lie back down. Loki ceased struggling as soon as he recognized Thor.

_My brother is alive. He is whole._

_I succeeded._

Loki let himself lie down again, his worst fears smothered. He winced at his sore, protesting back. But his heart was soothed. A blanket of calm settled over him when Thor moved to sit closer, and remained in sight of Loki.

"You are awake," Thor stated, leaning over Loki, "How do you fare?"

Loki swallowed, trying to sooth his parched throat. "I have been better," Loki rasped out, and attempted to smile.

Thor's eyebrows lowered, his face tightening with concern. He looked like he was about to speak, but instead turned to the side to face someone else. He accepted something from them. Then, he turned back to Loki to hand him a glass of water.

With effort, Loki sat up a little bit. Thor supported his back, and helped him drink the water. After Loki finished the whole glass, he lay down again. The water was refreshing, and helped him finally regain his train of thought. Loki let out a sigh, then focused back on the situation at hand.

It only took a few seconds for him to remember the words. Loki slowly raised his right hand, and carefully recited the words to a healing spell. A simple one, to speed up his natural healing. His magic came to him, and green tendrils flowed through his hand to wrap around his body. The glowing strings of magic then sunk into his skin. He let his hand fall to his side.

"What did you just do?" a voice outside of Loki's line of sight asked in a curious tone. Loki closed his eyes as a light numbness began to settle in his limbs. _Better._

"A healing spell," Loki mumbled.

He heard a rustling of fabric, a sign of someone moving closer. When the numb feeling reached his face, Loki released a sigh of relief. Without looking, he lifted his hand up to inspect the unknown object emitting a chill. His fingers instinctually twitched away when he realized the object was made out of ice. However, the exterior wasn't freezing. It felt... manmade. It wasn't something that would be used on Asgard.

As his suspicion rose, Loki decided to open his eyes again. He took in the sight of a brown-haired woman standing beside Thor's chair. _A mortal_ , he realized. Her eyes widened as his narrowed, staring directly at her.

She shifted forward a little, and started to say, "Hi, I'm Jane—"

"Dr. Foster. Yes, I know," Loki interrupted her as soon as he recognized her from his scrying sessions. He'd kept on eye on Thor, even if he couldn't help him. He massaged his temples as he transferred his intense gaze from her to Thor.

"Thor," Loki addressed him, "Why are we here?"

Thor's eyebrows went up at his words. Then, his expression shifted to concern as he asked, "How much do you remember about how you ended up here?"

Loki carefully consulted his memory before replying, "I remember everything up until I was hit by the Destroyer. That is not what I meant. Why are we still here on Midgard?"

Thor's expression lost some tension, relief bleeding through from the confirmation that his brother's memory was still intact. Then, he frowned as he considered how to answer.

"We are..." Thor hesitantly said, "We are unable to reach Asgard at this time. Our friends have been trying to call Heimdall for a while. They have received no response. And I... have been banished, so I could not expect an answer either."

Loki frowned at Thor's information, although he was not surprised. Heimdall, betraying not one but two Kings? And willing to let Loki, who happened to be the current King of Asgard, bleed out on another realm from unattended injuries? _Typical_ , Loki thought with a cynical flavor.

Loki didn't bring up any of his musings out loud, believing that it would only provoke an argument. An argument that he couldn't afford while injured.

"Um...." the mortal, _Jane_ , trailed off before attempting to speak, "So, are you going to be alright until they can contact Asgard? I mean, regarding your injuries. We were able to use a ice pack to prevent swelling—" _so that is the manmade object_ "but we're kind of in the dark here. I mean, none of us were exactly prepared to medically treat an alien."

Loki tilted his head to the side, considering her. Her concern was a pleasant surprise, even though she wasn't the most concise. He sent his magic to check over the state of his body, and discovered that the most pressing injuries were on his face. Which, with the aid of his magic, had stopped hurting and would heal faster. The other bruises would heal with time, he knew.

"There are no life-threatening injuries," Loki finally answered, "And my facial injuries are already on the path to healing."

Jane's eyes brightened as she blurted out, "Because of the healing spell you did, right?"

"Correct," Loki replied.

"What does the spell do exactly?" Jane couldn't stop herself from asking.

Loki narrowed his eyes, and cautiously asked, "Why do you want to know?"

"Er, um..." Jane scrambled for words, feeling shy, "I'm, well, I'm just curious. I've never seen anything like it, and I'd love to know how it works! Um... Uh. If you don't mind, that is."

Loki relaxed a bit, surprised to find that her wide-eyed curiosity was genuine.

"It is a simple healing spell. One that provides numbness for the injured areas, and slightly speeds up the healing," Loki almost got lost in explaining, "I chose it so it will not drain my core overmuch, as I am still recovering from using so much energy to travel here. It is nothing complex."

Jane listened with rapt attention. After he was done, she managed to say, "If you don't mind me saying it.... what is simple to you is complex to me. This is— this is mind blowing! I've never seen anything like it before!"

Loki's eyes softened at her enthusiasm as his respect for Dr. Foster increased. He struggled to keep in a budding smile, one that tugged at his face gashes. He forced his expression to return to a neutral one.

He turned to fully look at Thor, his senses nagging at him. A thousand little signs had caught his attention from the corner of his eye. Thor's posture, the way his hands fidgeted, his lowered gaze. Even the downward turn of one side of Thor's frown informed Loki that he was obviously holding back something.

"Out with it, Thor," Loki ordered him. Thor's head quickly jerked up, and he looked at Loki in surprise. "I know you have something to say."

Thor's eyes turned sad, a change that made unease bloom in Loki's chest. He wasn't certain what this would lead to.

"Loki...." Thor slowly dragged out, his voice a soft rumble, "It is my fault that you are hurt. I am sorry that my actions lead to this. I did not know—" Thor's hands tensed, then he huffed out a sigh and continued, "But that does not excuse my actions. I failed to protect you, brother."

For a couple minutes, Loki was struck dumb. His thoughts halted, and slowly started up again. However, this time his mind was not on fire. He was grounded. And yet, he _never_ could have predicted this.

"Thor...." Loki trailed off in a soft, low voice. A frown graced his face, eyebrows drawing together. He reached out, and placed his hand solidly on Thor's arm.

He pinched his brother's arm. Hard.

"Ow!" Thor exclaimed, quick to lean away from the bed, "What was that for??"

"That is ridiculous," Loki stated with confidence, "Do not shoulder the blame for this. It is not your fault. Stop being so obtuse."

"Yet I could have changed it!" Thor said with an equal amount of confidence, tensing his jaw to avoid yelling at his stubborn, injured brother. "I could have pushed you out of the way. Or at least warned you. I could have helped—"

"It would have changed nothing, Thor," Loki grit his teeth. He huffed out a sharp breath before continuing, "There was not enough time."

Patiently, Loki waited to see if his brother would protest further. It surprised him when he did not. He watched as Thor's frown deepened, and his gaze turned to the floor and stayed there. His brother's hands clenched in his lap, but he did not speak up.

Loki released an exasperated sigh, knowing from experience that neither of them would change their minds. Not at this time. He glanced at Dr. Foster, who was wide eyed but had not interfered, before looking at Thor again.

"Thor," Loki relented, and was the first to break the silence, "Perhaps you could have chosen better. Perhaps I could have as well. But it is not.... Your actions are not the only reason the Destroyer hit me."

"So.... Why did it hit you, then?" Jane worked up the courage to ask. Loki's laser-focused stare turned to her again, and she kept herself from fidgeting under it. She decided to continue, "What happened back there? I don't understand."

Jane's mind was racing as the brothers exchanged words. She reasoned that Thor probably didn't understand how the incident had happened, but couldn't bring himself to ask. It might be too vulnerable to admit ignorance. In addition to that, Loki didn't seem to be the most straightforward speaking guy. So, it was solely up to her to get answers.

Loki raised his eyebrows, the only indication that he was surprised by this turn in conversation. He turned carefully to Thor, then glanced between him and Jane.

"You.... you do not know?" Loki asked, the question clearly directed at Thor. Loki pressed on, "You do not know how the Destroyer works?"

Thor met Loki's eyes, looking very weary. "No, I do not," he answered.

"Ah," Loki voiced. Cautiously, he offered, "I could explain the mechanics of the Destroyer. To give clarity to this situation?"

Thor held his brother's gaze. A moment later, he nodded. Jane looked between the two brothers, torn between wanting to help and trying not intrude on this personal conversation. She hesitated to put a hand on Thor's shoulder, and decided against it. Hopefully, her presence would be enough. She gave a nod as well.

"The Destroyer is an ancient technological artifact," Loki began to explain, mind swirling to put together information in the proper order, "It was made for war, and for the battlefield. It is not the most elegant design, but it is most efficient at fighting and killing enemies."

Loki shot a look at them that clearly asked _'are you following me'_. He held their gaze before continuing.

"In order to take control of the Destroyer, I connected my magic to its.... its mind, the part that receives orders," Loki managed to say, unused to being asked about this subject. Quite unused to be asked about the inner workings of magic at all, if he was honest with himself. "The connection with a magic user is what animates the Destroyer. It is not alive. However, communicating orders in this fashion does not produce the most precise results."

Loki's gaze settled on Thor, and changed into a glare. He tried to keep his voice as even as possible as he said, "Therefore, when you rattled off that pathetic excuse for an apology, it unsettled me and caused the—"

"I was only trying to do my best!" Thor couldn't hold back. "You were attacking our friends, and it was the only thing I could think of to stop—"

"And look how well that turned out!" Loki's voice rose over Thor's protests.

"Hey!"

The brothers turned in sync to look at Jane, who had interrupted them.

Jane continued with determination, "Now is not the time to discuss that. We're actually discussing how this situation happened, so that we are all on the same page and this will not happen again. We need to clear up the confusion, not add to it. Alright? So, go on."

A smirk appeared on Loki's face, amused that the mortal was giving him orders. But since her logic was sound, he returned to the previous topic.

"And so, after that terrible apology—" Loki drew out, staring down Thor before continuing, "I was unable to keep a neutral disposition. I hate to admit it, but my temper flared up. I was unable to contain my emotions. I-I-I felt like I was on fire."

Loki took in a deep breath, tamping down his old emotions, before he went on, "Unfortunately, the Destroyer is an old, dull device. It mistook my emotions to be actual orders. Then, it started to approach you with the intent of hitting you."

Loki stared into space, getting lost in his recollection, "It was.... It was an absolute nightmare. I sent order after order, but it was too slow to change course. It would not stop. It would not cease. There was not enough time."

He took in a shuddering breath, unable to hide his distress. He finally refocused on Thor, discovering that his brother looked even more concerned than before. Finally, the two brothers had perfectly matching expressions. _Too late._

It took a few moments to get started again, but Loki pushed on, "I.... I could not get my emotions under control again. Not fast enough, that is. So, I ordered the Destroyer to power down. I severed my connection to it, as the loss of a connection would lead to a loss of power. Finally, I held onto the first plan I could think of, and desperately transported myself to Midgard. It worked. I took your place. The Destroyer.... hit me instead. I did it."

Loki let himself fully lie down again, exhausted from recalling the events leading up to the incident. He watched as Thor's expression changed rapidly, different emotions warring with each other. Finally, Thor settled on a stony look.

Thor began to say, "Brother, you did not have to take my place for—"

"You would have died!" Loki shouted, feeling a rush of relief from releasing the thought that had been circling around his head like a flock of vultures. Thor's mouth snapped shut, allowing Loki to keep speaking, "Thor, you cannot simply— You are currently mortal. A hit from the Destroyer would kill you. If not instantly, then slowly. And it would have been my fault."

Loki's simmering glare softened under the pressure of Thor's silent, hurt expression. He briskly combed a hand through his dark hair, struggling to find the words he dreaded to say. And yet.... If Loki did not say anything now, he might never say it.

And Thor might never hear it.

"Thor," Loki said, his voice slightly shaking, "If I had not lost control of my emotions.... This never would have happened. I should have done better. It was... far too close. And that is my fault." Loki closed his eyes.

Thor looked even more lost, but fought to hold back his initial reaction. He carefully thought over his words before he spoke.

"Brother...." Thor ventured, thrown off by Loki's unusual outwardly distressed state, "If what I said caused you such great distress.... I would like to know how to amend my words. What did I do wrong?"

Loki let out a sharp huff of air, and irritably muttered, "Do you really need me to recite the meaning of every word you spoke? You really cannot think for yourself?"

Thor's expression darkened, and he started to say, "Brother, that is unfair—"

"Whoa!" Jane interrupted, seeing the conversation start to go off the rails, "I'm sure you guys can talk this out. You just need to give each other a chance to—"

"Very well!" Loki burst into the conversation, "If you actually want to know, then I expect you to listen. To go straight to the most glaring error of your, eh, apology, it was absolutely irresponsible for you to offer your life in exchange for others. You, Thor, the only heir to the throne of Asgard. Of all Nine realms. And you offered to give up your life? Have you gone mad?"

Thor's expression soured further, but he kept himself from interrupting. After Loki was done, he put forth the point, "You are also the heir to the throne."

Loki couldn't keep bitterness from dripping into his voice when he replied, "We both know that is not true."

Thor opened his mouth to protest, but then decided not to. It would only lead to more arguing, and honestly, Thor had something more important to bring up.

"Brother...." Thor started out gently, as he felt Loki's gaze snap back to him, "I must admit that when father banished me... I felt... I did not..... I believed that he might never lift his banishment. That I was fated to stay on Midgard. Forever."

Loki inhaled a deep breath, but allowed Thor's words to sink in. For a few moments, Loki was uncertain about how to respond. _Of course, I never believed Thor's punishment to be permanent,_ Loki mused, _but that was before I knew that everything I used to know was a lie. Perhaps I never knew fa— Odin at all. Thor.... How do I tell him that to me, permanent banishment was **never** on the table. Calling him a fool will not help. Nor will a lie in order to comfort him. Hmm....._

After a few minutes of consideration, Loki answered, "If that.... If that was the All-father's true intentions..... then the day that I find that to be true, I will inform you that the All-father has completely lost his senses."

Loki's wording caused Thor's expression to darken. He frowned as he said, "Like how you informed me that father is dead, even though he is not."

Loki adopted a scowl, and was on the cusp of replying when Jane beat him to it. "Guys! I believe— Um. Uh. I believe that I should excuse myself now. It sounds like you guys have some personal stuff to work out. Which, is totally fine. I'll just be outside if you need anything."

"And please," Jane emphasized, looking between the brothers, "Please don't start any fights in here. This RV is my home at the moment."

Jane made her way to the door, but didn't move to open it until both of them had given her their word. She smiled, fiercely hoping that nothing else weird or unexpected would happen today. She was at the end of her rope. And by the looks of it, both brothers were exhausted from the day's events.

"Great," Jane said, turning the doorknob. She looked over her shoulder one last time and called out, "Loki, your brother is lucky to have you."

She was out the door before Loki could even think or react or reply. Once her words registered in his mind, he was very confused by them. _Mortals. A surprise at every turn,_ he supposed.

He slowly turned back to Thor, feeling unusually anxious to come back to their conversation. They'd grown up side by side, and Loki could almost always predict how his brother would react. However, today, Thor had surprised him. More than once. He was unsure of what to do with it. Perhaps Midgard was having an effect on him. Hopefully, for the better.

Both of them sat in uncomfortable silence, before Thor hesitantly broke it.

"Brother...." Thor tried to piece together the right words, "I do not understand. Why did you lie to me about father?"

"Thor, it is..." Loki faltered, wanting to finally be honest with Thor, but unsure of how to proceed, "It is complicated. I was.... It was not right to lie to you, but I had to. I was afraid of you. At the time, I could not see another way."

Thor's concern was clearly articulated through his features, and he inched closer to Loki's bed. Thor asked urgently, "Loki, what is wrong?"

Loki huffed out a breath of humorless laughter. "Everything," he rasped out.

He watched as his brother turned over his words in his mind, every detail so easy to read. Loki's unease grew, his mind burdened with the illogical thought that somehow, Thor would suddenly make sense of everything Loki had said. He would know. And then Thor would hate him.

Thor's eyes lit up as he let out a pained gasp. Loki steeled himself. _This is it. If not total comprehension, Thor will surely be curious and will not stop until he is—_

"You are afraid of me," Thor half-asked in a horrified tone, "Did I.... Did I hurt you while we were on Jotunheim. Or cause you to be hurt with my recklessness? I was not there for you when we returned to Asgard, and I did not think— But I should have remembered. Are you disappointed in me?"

Loki couldn't stop the surprised gasp that came out of his mouth. Yet again, his brother had surprised him and disrupted all of his thoughts and prepared words.

He saw Thor's eyes cloud over. He could tell that his brother took his silence for confirmation. Immediately, Loki felt a surge of energy to correct Thor's warped conclusion. His old habits rose up, prompted by Thor's reaction.

Forgetting himself, Loki quickly made to sit up as he started to speak. His words were just as quickly cut off by an explosion of pain in his chest and arms. The soreness, though dormant while lying down, screamed throughout his entire body when he moved too fast. Loki instinctually tensed up at the painful reminder of his current state, exacerbating his pain. He was caught halfway between sitting up and unable to move, think, or speak.

Thor went into action as soon as he realized Loki was in pain. He put his arm behind his brother's back to support him, and gently lowered him to a lying position again. He felt the tension fade from his brother as soon as he laid down. Thor carefully slid his arm out, and sat down again. His worry for his brother increased as he watched him struggle for words.

After regaining his breath, Loki turned his head to Thor, unable to keep the shock out of his expression. As the last few minutes sunk in, Loki decided he was far too exhausted to be embarrassed about his hasty mistake. Instead, Loki squeezed his eyes shut and released a ragged, drawn-out groan. Thankfully, the numbness had returned, but there was only so much a beginner spell could do.

"I cannot...." Loki couldn't stop his voice from trembling, and the unmistakable worry in Thor's eyes sent icicles into his heart. He needed to continue, "I cannot explain everything right now. Not while I am incapacitated. And I am not entirely sure.... I am not sure of where to start. Please, Thor. Can this wait for now?"

Loki looked up at his brother, eyes pleading, begging him to wait. Thor shifted in his seat with an uncomfortable expression, but seemed to accept the logic in Loki's words.

Thor asked Loki with a serious tone, "When you have healed, can we finally talk everything out? With honesty? Please, brother. Promise me that we will talk."

"I promise," Loki said with the ghost of a smile, relief flooding his heart. He repeated with more intensity, "I promise that we will talk on everything."

Thor's expression lit up with a familiar, unbridled smile. One that never failed to warm Loki with its warmth, even now.

Loki shifted his hand to rest on his chest, noticing a feeling that was... novel. Unexpected. Gradually, he realized that the feeling had settled in his gut the moment he knew Thor was safe. He thought back to when Thor was in danger of dying. In that moment, everything was thrown into stark clarity. All his questions, his schemes, his emotions— Everything changed. The only thing that mattered to Loki was that Thor would be alright. _It was all that mattered_, he realized.

Looking back at Thor's steady gaze, Loki realized that he finally felt calm. He felt calmer than he'd felt in a long time. _Simply put, the storm has died down,_ Loki thought, _Perhaps... Perhaps this is what it feels like to be at peace._

"Aye," Thor warmly said, "I believe that you need to rest now."

Loki nodded in agreement, already starting to lie back into the mattress and try to relax. He closed his eyes, exhaustion settling in like an old friend. He felt his brother gently draw the covers up to his chin. His ears barely registered the creak of Thor's chair, as his brother made to get up.

"Wait!"

As he spoke, Loki's eyes sprung open again, and snapped over to Thor. He cricked his head in order to get a better look at Thor. He was just about to speak, but hesitated when he noticed a weight on his chest. He glanced down to find that Thor had already stretched out his arm across Loki's chest, to prevent him from sitting up. Both corners of Loki's mouth quirked upwards in amusement.

He caught Thor's gaze again. Loki said without hesitation, "Promise me you will be here when I wake up."

Thor smiled at his brother, with light crinkles around his eyes that softened his face.

"I promise," Thor solemnly said to Loki.

"Thank you..... brother," Loki answered, eyes fluttering closed.

The weight of rest dragged Loki down, as if he was sinking into the bed, but it was not an unwelcome feeling. Finally, he let himself relax fully.

Knowing that his brother was safe.

Knowing that his brother would be there for him when he woke.

Loki's thoughts became slippery and hard to hold onto. He didn't even try to stay awake, the pull of sleep just as strong as gravity. With every slow, relaxed breath, he sunk further. He barely felt a hand gently stroking his hair before he finally succumbed to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew! This is it: I just finished my first multi-chapter fanfic and posted it!
> 
> Thank you [NPennyworth](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NPennyworth) for beta-reading this, and for your amazing encouragement!
> 
> Thanks for the lovely comments and kudos! I appreciate the feedback, and I am so thrilled to hear you've enjoyed my fanfic! It inspires me to keep writing!
> 
> I'm planning to write more fics! Here's a couple MCU fics I have posted here on AO3:
> 
> — [Looks Like an Angel](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24938212/chapters/60358900)  
> Yet another Thor AU, where Loki has been thrown into a world that no longer recognizes who he is. It also involves Tony.
> 
> — [A Trickster and his Shadow](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26413237/chapters/64346236)  
> Two lonely outsiders find each other. Aka How would Loki interact with a certain, paranormally gifted kid?


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